[Travel] Spanish Trains - RENFE

[Beach Hut]

And there was all of us thinking Britains railways are so badly run...................

Spain officials quit over trains that were made too wide for tunnels

The botched order was for commuter trains due to operate in two mountainous northern regions.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[PeterT]

We get round that risk by never ordering new trains and sticking with the bone shakers from the 1970s …..

Actually I have used Spanish trains a fair bit, including this month. Generally they are very good and like most train services in the developed world seem to put ours to shame in most cases.

 

[schmunk]

We get round that risk by never ordering new trains and sticking with the bone shakers from the 1970s …..

The current Thameslink trains were introduced, brand new, in 2016.

 

[Boys 9d]

I seem to remember the standard size replacement trains on the Tonbridge to Hastings line were too wide for some of the tunnels. The solution was to make the sections of line in the tunnels single track.

 

[Curious Orange]

We get round that risk by never ordering new trains and sticking with the bone shakers from the 1970s …..

Actually I have used Spanish trains a fair bit, including this month. Generally they are very good and like most train services in the developed world seem to put ours to shame in most cases.

Oddly enough my Dad spotted a 70's/80's vintage EMU pulling out of Falmer as we walked up to the Amex from the Bridge on Saturday. Quite an unusual sight seeing something that old on that line!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

The current Thameslink trains were introduced, brand new, in 2016.

And very smart they are too, great people movers with a massive capacity.

We too have ordered rolling stock that has turned out to be too wide/narrow a gauge for the track it was meant to run on.

 

[PeterT]

The current Thameslink trains were introduced, brand new, in 2016.

Oh yes, the ones where if you want to sit in a window seat you either need shinguards for the metal bar or to sit at an angle. But fair point, they are new (I kind of got that anyway, I was being intentionally flippant ….)

 

[GT49er]

I seem to remember the standard size replacement trains on the Tonbridge to Hastings line were too wide for some of the tunnels. The solution was to make the sections of line in the tunnels single track.

The trains (the normal ones) were always too wide to pass each other in the tunnels (the contractors building the line on the 19th. century cocked up) - that's why for a hundred years they used special rolling stock specifically built for the Hastings line. When they finally electrified the line they made the decision that rather than commission yet more non-standard trains just for the Hastings line they would convert the tunnels to single line working.
Not a British Rail/Netwrk Rail cock up at all.

 

[GT49er]

We get round that risk by never ordering new trains and sticking with the bone shakers from the 1970s …..

Actually I have used Spanish trains a fair bit, including this month. Generally they are very good and like most train services in the developed world seem to put ours to shame in most cases.

All the bone shakers from the 1970s or earlier are no longer in normal service (except on the Isle of Wight). The 'bone shakers' from older days can still be found, but only on heritage railways.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

All the bone shakers from the 1970s or earlier are no longer in normal service (except on the Isle of Wight). The 'bone shakers' from older days can still be found, but only on heritage railways.

The Island Line actually uses old London Underground rolling stock used on the District Line in the 1970's which displaced ex Northern Line 1930's trains.

Old it maybe but it perfectly suits the low density and short route that it operates on l think.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Oh yes, the ones where if you want to sit in a window seat you either need shinguards for the metal bar or to sit at an angle. But fair point, they are new (I kind of got that anyway, I was being intentionally flippant ….)

Not forgetting that the seats are like ironing boards with no knee room if you are over 4ft tall so you need an osteopath appointment after every journey.

Oddly enough my Dad spotted a 70's/80's vintage EMU pulling out of Falmer as we walked up to the Amex from the Bridge on Saturday. Quite an unusual sight seeing something that old on that line!

If that is the old Blue and grey three car unit, it is still regularly used on both Coastway lines.

 

[Curious Orange]

If that is the old Blue and grey three car unit, it is still regularly used on both Coastway lines.

I can't remember the length of the unit tbh, and it was in the current Southern livery, but would have definitely worn blue/grey when first built.

 

[Boys 9d]

I didn't say that BR made a cock up with the Hastings Line trains. I mentioned it as a possible solution for the Spanish.